


Vanderwood's POV (V After Ending Chapter 3)

by Lokiiwood



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Spoilers, Suicidal Thoughts, V After Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-11-01 03:21:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17859293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lokiiwood/pseuds/Lokiiwood
Summary: V AE Spoilers“I mean it. There’s no reason for me to stay as an informant any longer. The person I must protect is now gone.”Vanderwood opened his mouth - an angry “So?” on the tip of his tongue - but all that came out was a sigh. There was no joking, no emotion. Seven was already dead in his heart and it showed in his eyes.





	Vanderwood's POV (V After Ending Chapter 3)

**Author's Note:**

> This "story" is really just my imagining of Vandy's thoughts during that interaction with Seven. The majority of the written dialogue is taken straight from the game. Enjoy!

Vanderwood’s mistake was giving a shit. He knew that, he knew damn well he was overstepping but he’d done it for so long it almost felt natural. If it was anyone else - no, even if it wasn’t anyone else - if it had been any other _day_ maybe his hand wouldn’t be shaking.

He cursed as he nearly dropped the cigarette again, staring at the tendrils the grayish smoke made as they escaped to the sky. If only he could, too. This was just a rough patch. He could get past it just like he did all those other times Seven lost his mind and went off-mission. This wouldn’t be any different in the end. Seven could get serious and yell and Vanderwood would threaten him and they’d both freak out over possibly dying and then everything would go back to normal. Right? Right?

Vanderwood exhaled, closing his eyes to concentrate.

Yeah. Normal.

He flicked the cigarette to the ground and stepped on it.

Speak of the devil.

Seven stepped out of the cabin, the same dead look in his eyes as when he shot at his first target. With a sigh, he wordlessly accompanied him as he began to walk further into the forest. In his current mental state and based on the way he yelled at that blonde criminal woman, who knew what he was up to. Vanderwood glanced back at Jumin Han, who began to exit after them.

“It’s fine. I’ve known him longer than you. I’ll take care of it.”

Jumin hesitated, looking between them, then finally nodded and headed back in.

Truthfully, he didn't want to ‘take care of it.' But these were civilians. Seven was never going to be honest with them in the same way he could be with him. They’d never understand the cruelty of their jobs and how much of their soul they had to give away to survive. Seven’s perceived loss wasn’t something anyone who merely experienced a sudden death would ever be able to know. This was beyond them. But even with that assumption, Seven had talked to Jumin Han for over two hours. Told him everything.

Even _he_ didn’t know everything. They weren’t friends, so why would he?

Vanderwood was acutely aware of how far Seven walked away from the cabin before the younger agent finally stopped. Enough to not be heard by wandering ears - or sudden sounds. He grimaced.

“Out with it.”

Seven’s shoulders hung low as his sunken eyes finally met his. “I had to tell you. I’m quitting the Agency.”

“Yeah? And why is that?” He didn’t even try to hide his bitter sarcasm.

“I don’t want to do it anymore. That’s all.”

When Seven didn’t elaborate, Vanderwood sucked in air and glared at Seven’s flat expression.

“You serious?”

“Dead serious. I’m never going back.”

Nice choice of words. How intentional.

“Did you get that lazy? So you can't even bother to come up with an excuse anymore? You'd better brace yourself if you're pulling a prank again."

“I mean it. There’s no reason for me to stay as an informant any longer. The person I must protect is now gone.”

Vanderwood opened his mouth - an angry “So?” on the tip of his tongue - but all that came out was a sigh. There was no joking, no emotion. Seven was already dead in his heart and it showed in his eyes.

“You’d know how I feel,” he continued, the hint of a wistful smile on his lips.

This idiot. Vanderwood felt his own face go flat. How dare Seven even try to bring up his own past and reasons for staying with the Agency to excuse himself.

“I know this is all because of your brother, but think again.”

“I’ve already given a lot of thoughts,” Seven replied. His voice was barely a whisper. All of Vanderwood’s words were falling on deaf ears.

Then he’d have to wake him up.

“Fine...thanks for all the work you’ve done so far. And…”

Vanderwood couldn’t even look him in the eyes anymore, his facade fading as he chose his next words carefully and his hands began to move.

“...One of the orders I got was to eliminate anyone who betrays. I didn’t want to do this, but...I’m sorry.”

Seven’s eyes didn’t leave his as the gun left his holster. It was a perfect day to die, wasn’t it? Others had it much worse - raining, terrified…

He closed his eyes as Vanderwood pulled the trigger.

Seven flinched and fell over, eyes slowly opening as he looked down at his chest. No blood, no wounds. Eyes wide, his hands and lips trembled as they sought out an answer.

“Why…?”

Seven tried to get up but failed, falling to his knees and fist punching the ground once.

“Why did you make that one miss…?”

He raised his voice, the first emotion Vanderwood had seen from him all day - anger.

Good. Anger was for the living.

“Try again!” he demanded, eyes lowering to the ground as if he couldn’t understand why it was all happening. As if it were incredulous.

Idiot. Idiot. Maybe it was! Maybe he was the one being incredulous, but wasn’t it fair for him to be?! After all they went through, was it really such an incredulous idea that he wouldn’t shoot him for this obvious mistake?!

Vanderwood raised the gun higher, his own anger not showing in his steady hand.

“Geez, you didn’t even get fazed. You think your entire life is a game or something? If you betray us, you’ll die! For real! Get your senses together and think _again_. You really wanna die?!”

“Yes.”

God! The gun lowered for only a second before it was back high.

“Are you sure your brother is gone? You didn’t find his body yet.”

Didn’t he know in their line of business that no body meant the job wasn’t done?! And he was willing to just...give up? Why wouldn’t he treat his brother's disappearance with more care than a mission? Could someone be so blinded by grief that they don't think of the obvious? Does all their common sense disappear?

“There was nothing but ash. So there’d be no body for me to find.”

“But what if he’s alive? Huh?” He emphasized his point with shakes of the gun as if it were Seven’s head he was knocking sense into. “What are you gonna do if he’s alive?”

“If he is…”

Seven’s voice faded away. Was he finally waking up yet?

“There’s no proof that he’s dead!” he continued. “Don’t assume he’s dead until there’s a definite proof that he’s dead.”

Seven’s head slowly rose up to meet him - no hope in his gaze, but at least a willing ear.

“He might be alive by a very slim chance! Wanna bet? You should!”

“You think I’ve never hoped he’d be alive? Go check,” he pointed to nowhere in particular as tears began to form in the corners of his eyes, “what’s left of the building. It’s impossible for him to be alive.”

“Stop assuming and live on, you idiot...There might be a miracle.”

God, did he really use the m-word? Well if Seven could say something was impossible now, then he could damn well believe in miracles! They’d reversed the roles, what a time to be alive.

But Seven laughed instead, his smile seeming to free the tears that now rolled freely down his cheeks. “Miracle…? Agh, thanks for the laugh. It’s been so long since I’ve laughed.”

“Stop laughing,” he sighed. “Sometimes you’d get to see such beautiful things happening for real.”

“But what if it doesn’t? I’d get nothing but void from living under a fake name and being exploited by someone.”

“Why, you…” Vanderwood couldn’t do anything but laugh at that and lower his gun. That was _his_ life, dammit, that’s all _he’d_ known! And yet Seven couldn’t see that, wallowing in his own self-pity and giving up on his friends and even the slim chance his family - _a real, honest family member!_ \- could be alive.

“Ugh, this is nuts. Right. You’re right. It’s tough being an informant.” The words spilled out of his mouth, harsh and bitter from the wear and tear of living the life he had. “There’s no pride from being one, and there’s no telling when you’ll die. But you’re not like the rest of us.”

Vanderwood approached him, gun still in hand and leaning over the bent-over Seven as if he could hit the back of his head with his words.

“For more than the past two years, you’ve been making friends, enjoying yourself, and getting everything you could in that gross-in-a-good-way association called RFA all thanks to me!”

He knocked his boot against Seven’s side but he wouldn’t look up at him.

“You’ve been snickering, procrastinating, and leaving your room a mess! I still can’t sleep when I think about every incident you’ve made dumbfounded. You remember that one time when you ran away, leaving a dummy that looks like you in your seat?”

Vanderwood shook his head, prodding Seven more with even more annoyed vigor, shoving his boot now in his side.

“And what kind of a crazy informant would hack the database of the very agency he works for, on the due day of an assignment to extend the deadline? You’re a hacker paid at a hacking agency, yet you hacked back your own agency!”

He remembered the adrenaline rush of that day and the carefree smile Seven had shown him with his sunken eyes and messy hair. Seriously? No, Seven wasn’t like the rest of them at all. He was a genius with a bright future and a bright smile and now that he was potentially reduced to being like the rest of the Agency - being like _him_ \- he wanted to just throw it all away?

Vanderwood turned around with a stomp, aggravated beyond belief.

“Stop playing a tragic hacker,” he said, turning back around and finally meeting Seven’s eyes. “You’ve been staying happy thanks to my mercy! I’m the tragic informant here! _I am_!”

He didn’t care that he was ranting at this point. Seven - this lunatic - truly thought that he was the unfortunate one here when he had to be the most fortunate person in the entire Agency. Imagine having family at all! Imagine having friends! Imagine being able to rely on people! Imagine having this job and still having the intellect and a goddamn nanny to skip all the rules that would’ve gotten anyone else killed!

“Would you mind giving me some spotlight now?!” Vanderwood finally yelled, now that he had Seven’s attention. “But now you’re gonna let everything end here? I didn’t work my rear end off to see things end up like this!” He put away the gun again, not sure when he’d even taken it back out, and groaned. “Ugh, this is so frustrating.”

“What is with you?” Seven asked.

“What about me?!”

“I’ve been making use of you and annoying you.” _True. True._

“You should just kill me, like your target for a mission.” _Also true._

“Why are you suddenly being all emotional? Are you high?”

“You tell me! Seriously, don’t ask.” Vanderwood felt the energy draining from him as he responded, his glare wavering.

“Okay.”

“...Things will get so annoying once you’re dead. That’s why. And I’ll have to do everything you’re supposed to do,” he attempted to explain anyway, knowing he was fumbling over his words. It was true. With him gone, his hard life would only get harder. It’d be the last way for Seven to let him down. It’d be so like him, huh?

“You told me not to ask,” he said, a small smile on his lips as he sat back.

“Oh, shut up...Just don’t you dare quit. I’ll help you to stay part of that RFA or something.”

He’d clean up Seven’s messes and be by his side - as always. Vanderwood knew that’s how this was all going to end anyway. And Seven probably did too if he only stopped to think once in a while.

“...I’m going.”

Seven finally stood up and started heading back in the direction of the cabin with his vague answer.

“Hey! At least answer me before you go!”

This ungrateful brat. With a long sigh, he pulled out his work phone from his pocket and stared at the blank screen as he tried to think the situation through. Another impossible situation to find a miracle in.

“Seriously, what am I going to tell boss this time?”

 


End file.
